Nicolás Mezquida

A nimble attacking midfielder, Nicolás Mezquida arrived in Vancouver after having last played with Uruguayan Primera División side Centro Atlético Fénix. The 5-foot-6, 150-pound midfielder/striker from Paysandú, Uruguay, joined Whitecaps FC in Major League Soccer after a transfer from Uruguayan club Boston River prior to the 2014 season.

MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER

2014: In his inaugural MLS campaign, Mezquida finished with four starts in 14 appearances, scoring two goals in the process. The attacking talent also started both Amway Canadian Championship matches against Toronto FC. The Uruguayan talent made his MLS debut with Whitecaps FC on March 8 at BC Place, coming on as a substitute after 73 minutes in the 4-1 victory over New York Red Bulls.

URUGUAY

2013-14: Before signing with Whitecaps FC, the midfielder played on loan at Rampla Juniors and started eight of his 10 appearances, recording two goals. 2012-13: In his second year with Centro Atlético Fénix, Mezquida made six appearances with five starts and recorded one goal. He would be loaned out to Rampla Juniors in the same season, where he started eight of his 12 appearances and scored four goals. 2011-12: The attacking midfielder returned to play in the Uruguayan Primera División with Centro Atlético Fénix where he made eight appearances with four starts. 2008-12: Mezquida began his professional career with Club Atlético Peñarol after graduating from the youth academy, making a total of three appearances while scoring one goal before being loaned out to Norwegian club SK Brann.

NORWAY

2011: On loan from Peñarol, Mezquida made three appearances with SK Brann in the Tippeligaen, the top professional league in Norway. After returning to Uruguay, he was later loaned out to Lillestrøm SK, where he made one appearance.

INTERNATIONAL

At the international level, Mezquida made three appearances in the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup, recording one goal for his country. The Uruguayan also played 12 matches with the U-15 national team, scoring 10 goals in the process.